The first passenger train from Pyongyang arrived in Beijing on March 13, 2026, confirming the resumption of direct rail service between the North Korean and Chinese capitals after a six-year suspension due to COVID-19. Departing Pyongyang the previous day, the 22-hour journey signals improving bilateral ties amid recent diplomatic efforts.
Following the announcement earlier this week that passenger train service between Beijing and Pyongyang would resume after halting in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the first northbound train arrived at Beijing Railway Station at 8:40 a.m. on Friday, March 13. It had departed Pyongyang at 10:26 a.m. on Thursday, March 12.
A southbound train from Beijing left at 5:26 p.m. on Thursday, stopping in Tianjin, Shanhaiguan, Shenyang, and Dandong before reaching Pyongyang at 6:07 p.m. on Friday via Sinuiju. The service now runs four times weekly in both directions (Mondays, Wednesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays), taking about 25 hours, with daily trains also linking Pyongyang to Dandong. Established in 1954, this route symbolizes longstanding friendship between the allies.
While cargo trains resumed between Dandong and Sinuiju in 2022, passenger services were delayed despite North Korea's 2023 border reopening, amid strained ties over Pyongyang's Russia ties. The restart follows Kim Jong-un's September 2025 summit with Xi Jinping in Beijing, where they pledged deeper economic cooperation. Observers expect boosted personnel exchanges, tourism, and trade.
